Public art that isn’t
A tech entrepreneur launched a nationwide, politically motivated mural campaign that borrows the language of public art in a claim to honor a slain Ukrainian refugee. The family never gave permission, and the community never asked for it, so who is it really for?
VISUAL ARTS & CULTURE
Best dressed
See our favorite looks from EXPO Chicago 2026’s opening night.
“Nocturne” glows at Document
Dabin Ahn’s paintings and sculpture cast a quiet, tender spell over nighttime scenes.
Missives from the Midwest: Detroit in 24 Hours with Abby Pucker, Chanelle Lacy, and Emma McKee
A weekend in Detroit’s art scene reveals a city building boldly, collectively, and without apology, and offers Chicago a powerful lesson in what becomes possible when confidence replaces scarcity.
Latest Stories
This year’s Doc10 Film Festival comes with a call to action
The 11th edition of the fest includes its usual slate of ten documentaries, plus a new program to encourage dialogue and engagement.
Ambient composer Colleen stares down fear on Libre Antes del Final
Wed 5/6 at Constellation
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News & Politics
The workers at the world’s largest library association have a story they want to tell
The workers at the nationwide nonprofit headquartered in Chicago are set to vote on April 24 to recognize their new union.
‘We’re standing in the middle of something that should have always existed’
The long-awaited Chicago South Side Birth Center breaks ground on the far south side.
Community members, legal advocates speak out over pending charges against Broadview ICE jail protesters
Governor J.B. Pritzker has encouraged people to peacefully protest President Trump’s mass deportation efforts. In Cook County, more than one hundred people have been arrested by Illinois police, and more than 20 still face criminal charges, for doing just that.
Music
Gelli Haha creates an immersive dance-pop world for your inner child
Sat 4/25 at Schubas
Rogers Park gets a new brick-and-mortar record store
Plus: The Empty Bottle hosts release concerts by Mina Mills and Double Extra Large, the Black History Future Folk Symposium honors choreographer Katherine Dunham, and more.
Eddie Condon deserves his due as a forefather of jazz
His sharp wit, swinging banjo, and propulsive guitar helped shape the hot sound of Chicago jazz in the 1920s and ’30s.
Aliah Sheffield is sick of earth and wants you to sing along
Sun 4/19 at Ramova Loft
Film & TV
Projection events
The Onion City Experimental Film Festival and the films of Robert Beavers
Review: Exit 8
Exit 8 is a single-setting, video game–inspired thriller that’s worth watching exactly once.
Review: The Testaments
This sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale merely prolongs a story that should have wrapped up long ago.
Review: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a visual assault, but there’s no denying the creativity and energy on display.
Theater, dance, comedy
The Real Housewives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor at Chicago Shakespeare offers a suitably silly sojourn.
Goodnight Moon wins over the youngest critics at Chicago Children’s Theatre
Our adult critic also loves this musical based on Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved kids’ classic.
Mrs. Krishnan’s Party delivers a warmhearted good time
New Zealand’s Indian Ink Theatre at Chicago Shakes brings audiences together for Onam.
Maybe Tomorrow draws from a disquieting real story about marriage and isolation
Wild Door Theater presents the local premiere of a story about a woman who lives on the toilet.
Visual Arts, books
Ten must-see shows for EXPO Art Week
During EXPO Chicago 2026, the city’s art institutions put forth their most engaging programming.
In situ minimus
The fine-tuned Barely Fair hits its (shortened) stride once again.
A long, strange trip
Painter Doyle Chappell has spent a lifetime chasing portraits, happy accidents, and the spirit inside ordinary things.
CITY LIFE
At the Sticks, woodworking is for everyone
Fick Patterson opened the West Loop makerspace with an eye toward accessibility and craft-school-style learning.
Chicago mayor visits Illinois prison, meeting with Northwestern Prison Education Program students
Mayor Brandon Johnson became the first sitting mayor in recent history to visit an adult men’s prison.
Food & Drink
Random ICE raids have slowed for now, but this popular neighborhood chef still isn’t cooking outside
Business is bad for Bertin and her family—famous for scratch-made menudo and quesadillas—just as it is for thousands of Chicago street vendors.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
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